For the past decade, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro can lay claim to being one of Hollywood’s most imaginative directors. He’s the visionary behind the lens that has brought the underworld to life in the confronting The Devil’s Backbone (2001) disturbing Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), bloodthirsty Blade II (2002) and demonic Hellboy (2004) Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). His most recent work, Pacific Rim (2013) is a visual feast, steeped in fantasy, myth, giant monsters and even bigger robots. If you’re watching a Guillermo del Toro movie, your senses are in for treat.

But how does he develop his ideas and concepts, into the evocative imagery you see on the big screen?

He scribbles it all down by hand, annotating and illustrating during all hours of the day.

Countless ideas, scenes, dialogue, characters & scenarios are all captured in volumes of sketchbooks and pads that he carries around with him at all times. When inspiration strikes, it’s ready to be captured. Recently images from one of his lost journals have surfaced online, providing a revealing an insight into the mind of the man himself.